Professor appeals to President to reconsider site for plant

Professor Anthony Annan-Prah, a citizen of Elmina, said on Tuesday that it would require a discourse by all citizens to understand the issues relating to the location of a fish processing plant at Marine Park at Elmina to resolve all controversies.

Prof. Annan-Prah said the Elmina Beach front was not suitable for the establishment of a factory because of many factors that would militate against its sustenance.

He was reacting to a press conference held by the Executives of the Canoe Owners Association of Elmina on Monday where they issued an ultimatum to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture to ensure that work resumed within two days.

Work on the project started last August but had been put on hold after the Elmina Traditional Council accused the government of not consulting it and that the Marine Park which formerly served as a recreational area for fisher-folks was not suitable for the project.

  A delegation led by Daasebre Kwebu Ewusie the Seventh, President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, called on the Edina Traditional Council last week after persistent calls on government to stop the project because the land in question was not the best for it.

Among the delegation was the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of Fisheries and the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Isaac Sam, who after deliberations with the Council, agreed to inspect a new proposed site, together with experts from Accra before the end of the month.

 Prof. Annan- Prah mentioned the closeness of the project to the two World Heritage sites, the Castle and the Fort Saint Jago, the rise of the sea level as a result of climate change and the effects of the sea breeze on the factory as some of the factors that would militate against its sustenance.

He said as much as Elmina needed development projects to boost its economy and raise standards of living, a careful analysis of the project must be made by all stakeholders to ascertain its viability before building it at the proposed site.

He said since the project was opposite the Elmina Castle with the Benya Lagoon separating them, tourists would experience the brunt of the “undesirable stench” that fish processing would generate and also the effluence from the factory would be directed into the sea to pollute it.

 “Factories are not allowed near World Heritage Sites. For example, there cannot be a factory near Taj Mahal in India  because  it is a World Heritage Site,” Prof Annan-Prah said.

  He called for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment on the project by the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whilst the Traditional Council as well as the citizenry were briefed to keep them informed.

He said the factory would also usurp the local fishing, fish-mongering and fishing related spin-off socio-economic activities as there is already a similar plant near the Elmina Fish market.

Prof. Annan-Prah said there should be a Memorandum of Understanding on the social responsibility of the factory between government and the Edina Traditional Council.

Nana Aduakwa IV, Chief of Atonkwa and Akwamuhen of Edina, said as custodian of all Elmina lands, the Omanhen, Nana Kodwo Conduah should have been consulted.

He said the Traditional Council was not against the project but would want to ensure that the right thing was done to bring about the desired development to the area.

Ground for the factory was broken by the President John Mahama last August but the Traditional Council boycotted the ceremony with a reason that they were not informed about it. The Council later registered its protest about the location of the project.